Wheel cover



0- H. BARTZ Nov. 21, 1967 WHEEL COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1966 INVENTOR. 0550 X54222:

A TTOANEY 0. H. BARTZ WHEEL COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1966 INVENTOR. 0%0 Z6 Ear/z ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,353,872 WHEEL COVER Otto H. Bartz, Rochester, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, lVIich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 526,221 4 Claims. (Cl. 301-37) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A Wheel cover has a central opening which is defined by an annular axially inwardly extending flange. The flange includes a number of spaced axially inwardly extending finger extensions which are separated by intermediate arcuate cutout portions. A medallion fits within the opening from the back of the cover and, in one modification, includes a number of radially outwardly extending shoulders which engage against the base edges of the cutouts to provide a fixed stop against axially outward movement of the medallion. The finger extensions are bowed and are provided with lanced axially outwardly extending fingers. The medallion is provided with axially inwardly extending finger extensions which are complementary in number and radially juxtaposed to the cover finger extensions. The free ends of the cover fingers engage the axially inner free ends of the medallion finger extensions to provide an axially outward thrust to the medallion. Normally the free ends of the cover fingers'are spaced a lesser distance from the base edges of the arcuate cutout portions than the spacing between the free ends of the medallion finger extensions and the medallion abutments. In another modification, the medallion is provided with axially outwardly directed labutments which extend through the cutout portions and engage against the outer surface of the cover radially outwardly of the cutout portions. The cover finger extensions are provided with curved terminal portions which engage the axially inner free ends of the medallion finger extensions.

Specification This invention relates to wheel covers and more particularly to medallion retaining means for wheel covers.

One feature of this invention is that it provides a cover having improved medallion retaining means which includes interengaging means on the medallion and cover and resilient means applying an axially directed thrust to the medallion to hold the interengaging means in tight engagement with each other. Another feature of this invention is that the resilient means include a plurality of resilient finger extensions on the cover and engaging a plurality of complementary extensions on the medallion to hold the interengaging means on the cover and medallion in engagement with each other. A further feature of this invention is that the cover finger extensions are separated by intermediate cutout portions and the medallion extensions are separated by intenmedi'ate cutout portions provided with abutment means engageable with the cutout portions of the cover to provide the interengaging means. Yet another feature of this invention is that at least one of the cover cutout portions is of different circumferential extent than the other cover cutout portions and at least one of the cover abutment means is of a size to be received within the one cover cutout portion but not within the other cove-r cutout portions to provide an indexing means for indexing the medallion relative to the cover.

These and other features of the wheel cover of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial front elevational View of a Wheel cover embodying a medallion retaining means according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a partially broken away perspective view;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a modification; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 7--7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a wheel cover designated generally 10 includes a body portion 12 adapted to be disposed over the spider of a vehicle wheel and being joined to an outer peripheral retaining portion, not shown, which is provided with suitable means so as to be mounted on the rim portion of the wheel. The body portion 12 includes a central cone portion 14 of generally frusto-conical shape, FIGURE 5, having an axially outwardly directed annular rib 16. The radially inner axially inwardly extending annular wall or flange 18 of rim 16 defines a centrally disposed aperture in the cover body. A plurality of resilient finger extensions 20 extend axially inwardly from the annular flange 18, with these finger extensions being separated by intermediate cutout portions designated generally 22.

A medallion 24 fits within the opening defined by the flange 18 and includes a radially directed annular flange 26 disposed in confronting relationship to the axially inner portion of the flange 18. The medallion 24 includes a plurality of generally axially inwardly directed finger extensions 28 which are equal in number to the finger extensions 20 of the cover body and are separated by intermediate cutout portions 30 equal in number to the cutout portions 22 of the cover body. As can be seen from FIGURE 5, the cover and medallion finger extensions and cutout portions are generally complementary in shape to each other.

A plurality of axially and radially directed abutment means or shoulders 32 are provided on flange 26 adjacent the bases of the cutout portions 30. From FIGURE 1 it can be seen that all of the shoulders are of the same general circumferential extent except for one, 36, which is of greater circumferential extent than the others. Likewise, from FIGURE 1 it can be seen that all of the cutout portions 22 of the cover body are of the same general circumferential extent except for one, 38, which is of greater circumferential extent than the others. Shoulder 36 can thus only be received within cutout portion 22 to thereby index the medallion with respect to the cover. The shoulders 32 and 36 engage the base edges of the cutout portions 22 and 38 to limit axially outward movement of the medallion within the opening in the cover body. The indexing means provided by the shoulder 36 and the cutout 38 accurately index the medallion with respect to the cover, particularly the valve stem opening, not shown.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the medallion finger extensions 28 flare slightly radially outwardly from the medallion flange 26. Each cover finger extension 20 includes a leg 40 which is radially outwardly offset from the inner edge of the flange 18 and confronts the juncture portion of the complementary finger extension 28 of the medallion. The leg 40 merges into a radially outwardly bowed leg 42 which in turn merges on a juncture shoulder 44 with a radially outwardly and axially inwardly directed leg 46. A tab or finger 48 lanced from the legs 42 and 46 extend generally axially outwardly across the juncture shoulder 44 into engagement with the free end of the complementary medallion finger extension 28 to apply an axially outwardly directed thrust against the medallion finger extension and thereby hold the adjacent shoulder 32 or 36 in tight resilient engagement with the base edges of the cutout 22 or 38 so that the medallion 24 is tightly and resiliently held in its desired indexed relationship to the opening of the cover body without rattling or other noise during service.

The relationship of the tabs 48 to the extensions 28 prevents an axially inwardly directed thrust against the medallion from dislodging the medallion from within the opening of the cover body. The bowed legs 42 of the finger extensions 20 normally locate the free ends of the fingers 48 a lesser distance from the base edges of the cutout portions 22 and 38 than the distance between engaginged-ges of the shoulders 34 and the free ends of the finger extensions 28. Thus, when the medallion is fitted within the opening of the cover from the rear'side thereof and the tabs are moved into engagement with the finger extensions 28, a resilient bias or axially outwardly directed thrust against the medallion finger extensions is assured.

FIGURES 6 and 7 show a modification wherein the body portion 50 of the cover includes a central annular rib '52 from which extend a plurality of finger extensions 54 separated 'by intermediate cutout portions 56. The finger extensions 54 include a generally radially outwardly and axially inwardly extending leg 57, an axially inwardly extending leg 58 and a terminal return bent, arcuate leg 60. As can be seen in FIGURE 6, all of the cutout portions 56 are generally of the same circumferential extent except for one cutout 62 which is of greater circumferential extent than the others.

The medallion 64 includes an inner annular flange portion 66 which generally fits within the central opening of the cover as defined'by the flange 52. Flange portion 66 is separated from an outer flange portion 68 by an intermediate rib portion 70. At successive circumferentially spaced locations, finger extensions 72 land limit stops 74 extend respectively axially inwardly and axially outwardly from the rib portion 70. The free ends of the finger portions 72 are engaged by the terminal portion 60 of the finger extensions 58 so as to resiliently hold the limit portion 74 against the inner surface of the cover body 50 adjacent the flange 52 and thereby locate the medallion within the opening of the wheel cover body. One limit portion 76 is of greater circumferential extent than the others so as to be received only within the one cutout portion 62 and thereby provide an index means between the medallion and the cover body.

Thus, this invention provides an improved wheel cover retaining means.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising, a wheel cover having an annular axially inwardly extending flange defining an opening therein and being provided with a plurality of spaced axially inwardly extending finger extensions, a medallion of a size to close said opening and being provided with a plurality of axially inwardly extending finger extensions radially juxtaposed to said cover finger extensions, means on said medallion engageable with means on said cover to limit laxially outward movement of said medallion relative to said cover, each of said cover extensions having a retaining finger provided with a terminal portion engageable with the axially inner free end of a respective medallion finger extension, said cover finger extensions normally locating the terminal portions of said retaining fingers a lesser distance from said engageable means than the spacing between said .eng'ageable means and the free ends of said medallion finger extensions to provide a resilient axially outward bias to said medallion finger extensions.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said cover finger extensions are separated by intermediate cutout portions and said medallion means include shoulders engageable with the base edges of the cover cutout portions to provide said axial limiting means.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said medallion includes a plurality of cutout portions generally complementary to said cover cutout portions and said abutments are located adjacent the base edges of said medallion cutout portions.

4. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein at least one of said cover cutout portions is of greater circumferential extent than the other of said cover cutout portions and at least one of said medallion shoulders is of greater circumferential extent than the other of said medallion shoulders so as to be received only within the one cover cutout portion to provide an indexing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,400,155 12/ 1921 Greenburg 4020 2,821,438 l/1958 Lyon SDI-37 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,186 12/ 1957 Canada.

RICHARD J. JOHNSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, A WHEEL COVER HAVING AN ANNULAR AXIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE DEFINING AN OPENING THEREIN AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED AXIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING FINGER EXTENSIONS, A MEDALLION OF A SIZE TO CLOSE SAID OPENING AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING FINGER EXTENSIONS RADIALLY JUXTAPOSED TO SAID COVER FINGER EXTENSIONS, MEANS ON SAID MEDALLION ENGAGEABLE WITH MEANS ON SAID COVER TO LIMIT AXIALLY OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID MEDALLION RELATIVE TO SAID COVER, EACH OF SAID COVER EXTENSIONS HAVING A RETAINING FINGER PROVIDED WITH A TERMINAL PORTION ENGAGEABLE WITH THE AXIALLY INNER FREE END OF A RESPECTIVE MEDALLION FINGER EXTENSION SAID COVER FINGER EXTENSIONS NORMALLY LOCATING THE TERMINAL PORTIONS OF SAID RETAINING FINGERS A LESSER DISTANCE FROM SAID ENGAGEABLE MEANS THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID ENGAGEABLE MEANS AND THE FREE ENDS OF SAID MEDALLION FINGER EXTENSIONS TO PROVIDE A RESILIENT AXIALLY OUTWARD BIAS TO SAID MEDALLION FINGER EXTENSIONS. 